Poison gun



May 27, T941. D. A. SMITH POISON GUN Filed June 8, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l A ttorney May 27, 1941. D, A, SMH-H 2,243,510

POISON GUN Filed Jun'e 8, 1940 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented May 27, 1941 UNHTED sr'rs er GFFCE 3 Claims.

The present invention relatesv to new and useful improvements in poison guns for use particularly in exterminating rodents and has for one of its important objects to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a device of this character which is adapted to deposit poison in a burrow without the necessity of digging in the ground.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide a rodent exterminating gun of the aforementioned character embodying novel means for depositing the poison in predetermined, uniform quantities.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a poison gun of the character described which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, highly efficient and reliable in use, compact, light in weight and which may be manufactured at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a poison gun constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a View in vertical longitudinal section through an intermediate portion of the device.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view on a larger scale taken substantiallyr on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a View in horizontal section through an intermediate portion of the gun.

Figure 5 is a view, partially in longitudinal section, of the forward end portion of the device.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises a metallic barrel I of suitable length and diameter. Secured in the rear end of the barrel I is a closure plug 2. At its forward end, the barrel I terminates in a ground penetrating point 3. Adjacent the point 3, the underside of the barrel I has formed therein a poison discharge opening or port 4.

At an intermediate point the barrel I has rigidly secured thereon and rising therefrom a substantially U-shaped metallic guide 5. Within the guide 5 the barrel I has formed in its upper side a poison intake opening or port 5. Fixed on the guide 5 is an internally threaded hopper '1.

The hopper 'I communicates with the guide 5 through an opening 8 in the latter. Screwed into the hopper 'I is a removable poison container 9 in the form of an inverted mason jar. Braces I extend from the ends of the guide to the barrel I.

Slidable on the barrel I and operable in the guide 5 is a measuring valve which is designated generally by the reference numeral I I. The measuring valve I I comprises a shoe I2 of arcuate cross section which is slidable on the barrel I. Rising from the shoe I2 is a cylindrical trap chamber I3. On the upper end of the trap chamber I3 is a shoe I4 which is slidably engaged in the upper portion of the guide 5, said shoe I4 including depending side anges I5. At its forward end, the shoe I4 terminates in an upturned flange I6 constituting a stop engageable with the forward end of the guide 5 for limiting the rearward sliding movement of the measuring valve II. The reference numeral I'I designates a brace from the rear portion of the shoe I4 and the trap chamber I3 to the shoe I2. It may be well to here state that the trap chamber I3 is adapted for communication with the openings 8 and 6.

The reference numeral I8 designates a pull spring having one end connected to the barrel I and its other end connected to the shoe I2 for moving the measuring valve I I forwardly to bring the trap chamber I3 into registry with the opening 8 for receiving a charge of poison, as at I 9, from the hopper l. Rearwardly of the poison intake opening 6, the barrel I has formed longitudinally therein a slot 20. Threadedly mounted in the rear portion of the shoe I2 and projecting into the barrel I is a pin 2I which is operable in the slot 23. Operable in the barrel I is a rod 22 which passes slidably through the plug 2. On the forward end of the rod 22 and slidable in the barrel I is a plunger 23. vMounted on the rear end of the rod 22 is an operating handle 24.

t is thought that the operation of the device will be readily apparent from a consideration of the foregoing. Briefly, with the plunger 23 in its forward position, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing-s, the trap chamber I3 is in its forward position and poison flows thereinto by gravity from the hopper 'I and the container 9. The plunger 23 is now retracted through the medium of the handle 24 and the rod 22 to a position rearwardly of the opening 6 in the barrel I. Thus, the plunger 23 engages the pin 2l and moves the valve II rearwardly against the tension of the spring I3. In this manner the trap chamber I3 is brought into registry with the opening G and the poison ilows from said trap chamber into the barrel I forwardly of the plunger 23. Of course, when the trap chamber I3 is moved rearwardly in this manner the upper shoe I4 closes the hopper 1 for preventing the escape of poison therefrom. The plunger 23 is now moved forwardly in the barrel I and pushes the poison which has been deposited in said barrel toward the discharge port li. It will be understood, of course, that the for- 'ward end of the device has previously been driven into the ground with the discharge port 4 communicating with the burrow in which the poison is to be deposited. When the poison reaches the port i it is ejected by the plunger 23 from the barrel I into the burrow. When the plunger 2.3 is thus moved forwardly the spring I8 returns the trap chamber I3 to its ,forward position where it is again nlled from the hopper 1 and the container 9. The pin 2li, traveling in the slot 20, positively limits the -forward movement of the measuring valve II under the influence of the coil spring I8.

It 'is believed that the many advantages of -a poison gun constructed in laccordance with the present invention will be readily understood and although a preferred -embodinrient of the device is A-as illustrated and described, it -is to be understood that changes in the details =of construction and -in the Vcor-nbination and arrangement of parts may b e resorted to which will fall within the scope ofthe invention as claimed.

What is .claimed is:

1. A poison gun comprising a vbarrel adapted to be driven tinto the ground, said barrel having poison inlet and outlet openings therein at spaced points, a guide on the barrel adjacent the inlet opening, a poison container mounted .on the guide and communicating therewith, a measuring trap chamber slidable in the guide and adapted .to communicate alternately with the container' and with the inlet .open-ing, shoes on said trap chamber -for alternately opening and closing the container and .the inlet opening, means -for moving the trap chamber into communication with the container, a `,plunger operable in the barrel for moving the poison toward the v.outlet opening, and means operatively connecting the` trap chamber to Athe `plunger for actuation thereby for bringing :said trap chamber into communication with the inlet opening.

2. A poison gun vcomprising a bar-rel `having longitudinally spaced inlet and outlet openings therein and further having a longitudinal slot therein adjacent the inlet opening, a plunger operable in the barrel for moving poison from the inlet opening to the outlet opening, a guide mounted on the barrel over the inlet opening, a poison container mounted on the guide, a measuring trap chamber slidable in the guide and adapted for communication alternately with the container and the inlet opening, a spring connected to the trap chamber for shifting same into communication with the container for receiving poison therefrom, a member on the trap chamber operable in the slot and engageable by the plunger for actuation thereby, said member constituting means for connecting the trap chamber to the plunger for actuation thereby into communication with the inlet opening.

3. A poison gun of the character described comprising a barrel including a ground penetrating poi-nt on one end, .said barrel having a discharge port therein adjacent said one end, said barrel further having .a poison inlet :opening therein at an intermediate point, said barrel still further having a longitudinal slot therein adjacent the inlet open-ing, a manually operable plunger vslidable in ,the barrel and adapted to move poison from the inlet opening to the discharge port, a guide .of substantially Uf-shaped cross section :mounted on the .barrel over the inlet opening, a hopper mounted on said guide and .communicating therewith, a removable poison container mounted on the hopper, a measuring valve slidable in the guide and includinga .shoe Dpelable-on the barrel, a trap chamber rising l`from said shoe .and adapted ior communication ,alternately with the hopper and the inlet opening, -a shoe von the Tupper end of the trap chamber operable in the upper portion lof the guide and .constituting means for controlling the discharge .of the .poison from the hopper, a coil spring having .or-1e end connected to the barrel and its .other end .connected to the 4iirst named shoe ,for ,shifting the -trap `chamber into -communication with the hopper for receiving Ipoison therefrom, and a pin threadedly ,mounted inthe first named ,shoe and ,extending through the yslot into .the barrel `for engagement by the plunger for shifting the trap chamber into cormnunication with the inlet `opening for depositing the poison in the barrel.

DAVID A. SMITH. 

